Everybody Hurts
by Lucid Stupor
Summary: AU: Bad news is hard to take, but usually, all one needs is a friend. SoMa three-shot r
1. Chapter 1

I own only the plot line

He walked into the bar. Specifically, the bar he was told to stay away from. It was known for the huge fights and occasional fires and riots that took place on the property. Any other day, he would have avoided it, but today he simply didn't care.

He had just walked a couple blocks from the hospital. The disease that had killed off all of his immediate family and some extended family on his mother's side had finally infected him. He had weeks at best.

He ordered something strong. The bartender gave a nod and walked away to make the monstrosity that was sure to get him nice and drunk. He stared at the mints and peanuts debating whether or not he should brave them. He'd heard the statistics on how much urine those things contained. He decided he would have some. He was bitterly reminded of the term YOLO, which his little cousin, Amelia, used to say all the time. Before she died. Like he would. He received the drink when the bartender brought it and took a sip, cringing at the burn it caused in the back in his throat.

A young woman approached the bar and took a seat beside him. He made no move to acknowledge her and her, him. She ordered something equally as strong as he did, but upon receiving it, threw it back and ordered another one for herself and her "friend." At this she gestured to him. He made a move to reject her offer, but was shut up at the look she threw him.

"Maka." She spoke.

"Soul." He responded. They sat in silence for hours and at closing time stood to leave. He curtly nodded and began the walk to the door.

"Hey Mister, chin up. It's gonna be okay."

And for no reason in particular, he believed her.

**Note: If you've been living under a rock and don't know what YOLO means, it's 'you only live once.' Thanks for reading ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

The Disclaimer stands.

Maka continued to visit the bar and talk with Soul, as one sided as some of the conversations may have been. She had gotten to know him fairly well and decided that she liked him. Then, completely out of the blue, he stopped showing up. Being the curious little thing she was, she asked around and discovered his current situation. She hailed a cab and headed to the hospital. The idiot collapsed in a grocery store.

At first, she was told no visitors. She lied and told them she was his cousin. They were fully aware of the lie, but let it slide. Apparently, she was his first visitor. Family was never brought up during their little talks, so she knew nothing of them. She figured they weren't very good if they hadn't visited their son in the hospital.

Walking into the small, beige room, the first thing she noticed was the tuft of white hair sticking out from the covers on the bed. The _hospital_ bed. He rolled over to face her. She smiled; he stared, as per usual.

"You're pretty stupid, you know that?"

"Yeah."

"Collapsing in a _grocery store_? Are you hearing what I'm hearing?"

"Yeah." She tutted and in a very motherly fashion, strolled over and brushed his hair out of his eyes. It was rather unruly. Maybe that's why he wore the headband. He shut them, in response. It must have been a long time since someone had done something as affectionate as what she was doing with him now. The sweet moment was killed, however when an overly bubbly nurse walked in.

"Oh! Hello! If I can just get a second with," she looked to her clipboard, "Soul? You can come back in a second." She offered a broad smile; one Maka did /not/ return, nodded and stepped out of the room. She didn't like or trust this woman. It was just a guy feeling she had about her.

And apparently for a good reason. The nurse lied. It took much longer than a second. It was hours until the nurse came out and by then, it was too late for Maka to visit with him. She sighed but figured she would simply come back the next day.

On her way out the door, she noticed an older man crying quietly in a chair. No one had made a move to comfort him, so Maka walked over and sat next to him. She had watched one of those late night shows where they show sermons from churches around the world. This particular one had been about how small comments could make a person's day that much brighter. She had vowed to live by those words.

The man looked up from his hands and she saw in his eyes the desperation he was feeling. He had blue eyes, dulled by age. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over.

"She was all that was left. I told her that I was supposed to go first. Why didn't she do as she was told?" Maka shrugged her shoulders.

"I bet she was a wonderful person."

"She hated me. My only daughter and she would do just about anything to stay away from me." Maka thought of her father. No. There was no way these two situations had anything to do with each other. It's just dumb luck.

For once, Maka was at a loss a way to comfort someone.

"Well I don't hate you. Also, I really like your shoes."


	3. Chapter 3

Maka was reminded of her, now with good reason, hatred of the nurse from earlier when she walked into the hospital the next day. She had a kitten with her to brighten Soul's day. It was an odd looking cat with purple hair and golden eyes and she felt he could form some kind of connection with it.

Imagine her surprise when the nurse told her she couldn't visit Soul.

Because he was no longer in the hospital.

Because he had passed away in his sleep last night at precisely 4:24.

Instead of the general emotion that usually comes with death, Maka only felt anger. How dare he? She had finally made a real friend and he up and dies on her. How utterly uncool of him. She walked out of the hospital and went straight to the bar where all this mess had started.

Two days later, a funeral was arranged for him. Maka naturally went, albeit she was still mad at him. Very few people were there. A young girl stood with an older man. They both had the signature red eyes, so she assumed that they were family. A strange man with blue hair stood next to a man with equally strange hair. They must have been his friends. Then there was Maka, standing alone and brooding.

Brooding about how few people were here for Soul. Brooding about how the food at the reception was probably nonexistent. And brooding over the death of her only friend in the whole world.

The service was short and sweet. A few words were said and then the small group walked to the church for the reception. The old man from earlier walked up to her and sat down.

"Can I ask you a question? Where on earth is the rest of his family. Did he mean nothing to them?"

He smiled sadly. "Did you not know about his family?" She shook her head and as he proceeded to tell her, she felt her shoulders slump lower and lower. It was like reading a biography on someone. She didn't actually know anything about him, yet she considered him her friend?

She looked at the hands in her lap to avoid looking into the eyes that looked so much like Soul's.

"Hey sweetheart, chin up. It's going to be okay."

And she believed him.


End file.
